SQL Server 2008 Express comes with several feature constraints that impact backup strategies. The most critical limitations include:

• No SQL Server Agent for scheduling automated jobs
• No native replication capabilities
• Maximum 1GB RAM utilization
• 10GB database size limit

The built-in BACKUP DATABASE command remains the most reliable method:

BACKUP DATABASE YourDatabase 
TO DISK = 'C:\\Backups\\YourDatabase.bak'
WITH COMPRESSION, STATS = 10;

For transaction log backups (if using FULL recovery model):

BACKUP LOG YourDatabase 
TO DISK = 'C:\\Backups\\YourDatabase.trn'
WITH COMPRESSION;

Create a Windows Scheduled Task that runs a PowerShell script:

# backup.ps1
[System.Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName("Microsoft.SqlServer.SMO") | Out-Null
$server = New-Object ("Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Smo.Server") "(local)"
$backup = New-Object ("Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Smo.Backup")
$backup.Action = "Database"
$backup.Database = "YourDatabase"
$backup.Devices.AddDevice("C:\Backups\YourDatabase_$(Get-Date -Format 'yyyyMMdd_HHmm').bak", "File")
$backup.Incremental = $false
$backup.SqlBackup($server)

Several tools work well with Express edition:

• SQLBackupAndFTP: Provides scheduling and cloud storage integration
• ApexSQL Backup: Offers compression and encryption options
• Idera SQL Safe Backup: Enterprise-grade features with Express compatibility

For mission-critical systems using Express:

1. Implement log shipping using Windows Scheduled Tasks
2. Set up database mirroring (requires another SQL Server instance)
3. Use file-level backups combined with differential SQL backups

To minimize impact on production systems:

-- Use WITH COPY_ONLY for full backups during log shipping
BACKUP DATABASE YourDatabase 
TO DISK = 'C:\\Backups\\CopyOnly.bak'
WITH COPY_ONLY, COMPRESSION;

-- Differential backups reduce backup size
BACKUP DATABASE YourDatabase 
TO DISK = 'C:\\Backups\\Diff.bak'
WITH DIFFERENTIAL, COMPRESSION;

Create a verification routine using RESTORE VERIFYONLY:

RESTORE VERIFYONLY 
FROM DISK = 'C:\\Backups\\YourDatabase.bak'
WITH FILE = 1, NOUNLOAD;

Working with SQL Server 2008 Express presents unique backup challenges since it lacks enterprise features like:

• Native replication capabilities
• SQL Server Agent for scheduling
• Advanced compression options

Here are proven methods for maintaining reliable backups with minimal downtime:

1. Scheduled Full Backups with T-SQL

Create a stored procedure to handle backups:

CREATE PROCEDURE usp_BackupDatabase
    @dbName NVARCHAR(255),
    @backupPath NVARCHAR(255)
AS
BEGIN
    DECLARE @fileName NVARCHAR(256)
    SET @fileName = @backupPath + @dbName + '_' + 
                    REPLACE(CONVERT(NVARCHAR, GETDATE(), 112) + 
                    REPLACE(CONVERT(NVARCHAR, GETDATE(), 108), ':', ''), ' ', '_') + '.bak'
    
    BACKUP DATABASE @dbName TO DISK = @fileName
    WITH COMPRESSION, STATS = 10
END

2. Differential Backup Strategy

Combine full and differential backups to reduce backup windows:

-- Full backup on Sundays
BACKUP DATABASE YourDB 
TO DISK = 'D:\Backups\YourDB_Full.bak'
WITH COMPRESSION

-- Differential backup other days
BACKUP DATABASE YourDB 
TO DISK = 'D:\Backups\YourDB_Diff.bak'
WITH DIFFERENTIAL, COMPRESSION

Since Express lacks SQL Agent, use Windows Task Scheduler with PowerShell:

$sqlCmd = "sqlcmd -S .\SQLEXPRESS -Q "EXEC usp_BackupDatabase 'YourDB', 'D:\Backups\'""
Invoke-Expression $sqlCmd

# Add this to copy backups to secondary server
Copy-Item "D:\Backups\*" "\\BackupServer\SQLBackups\" -Recurse

For zero-downtime requirements, consider these approaches:

• Detach/Copy/Attach Method: (Not recommended for production)
• VSS (Volume Shadow Copy): Use Windows Server Backup
• Third-Party Tools: Like SQLBackupAndFTP or Idera SQL Safe

Always verify your backups:

RESTORE VERIFYONLY 
FROM DISK = 'D:\Backups\YourDB_Full.bak'
WITH FILE = 1